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Hidden locos

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by 22A, Oct 8, 2016.

  1. 22A

    22A Well-Known Member

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    No; not the Strategic Reserve, but preserved locos.
    There was (possibly still is?) an ex main line loco at Shugborough Hall in the West Midlands. I asked on here some time back and was told that hall is shut more often than it's open.
    Snibston Discovery Park in Leicestershire is home to an ex Powseland Railway loco that was amongst those absorbed and renumbered by the GWR. The Park has now been shut as the Council who owned it, are selling the land for housing. According to Leics CC, the loco will be stored but may in future be passed to a museum for exhibit.
    The Colne Valley Railway have (so I read) had to cut back on their operations due to landlord problems.
    My question therefore is which other preserved locos from former main line companies are kept out of sight?
    To start the ball rolling I believe there are two at Dean Forest Flour Mill; GWR 5538 and LNER Y5 229.
    At Moveright International (no I dunno where it is either) GWR 9642 is located.
     
  2. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    The loco at Shugborough you refer to is North Staffs no2 this has been on loan to the Churnet Valley Railway, it's now causing Mr Wilcock some distress in the latest issue of Steam Railway. It's been gifted to the Foxfield Railway.
     
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  3. Robin

    Robin Well-Known Member Friend

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    Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway No 2 'Pontyberem' - at a private site in Barry Dock?
    42859 - the (ex) Binbrook Crab (what's left of it).
    Mersey Railway No 5 Cecil Raikes - museum store in Liverpool.
    Furness Railway 25 - Carnforth?
     
  4. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    6634 at Bridgnorth?
     
  5. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    It hasn't been at shugborough for some time if it's that one. Was at Shildon for a while. Now at Foxfield, not churnet Valley, I think for overhaul at some point. On display in their loco shed though currently.

    9642 is at Moveright international AFAIK, which is at Wishaw, along with some other stuff owned by said company. I believe it is destined for the new start up at Sharpness. I think someone mentioned it's boiler was being done at GCR, there was a thread somewhere...
     
  6. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

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  7. 22A

    22A Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for this. I thought the fledgling project at Sharpness docks was in it's infancy. I've now read there website.
    Steam Locomotives 4F 4027, 44901 Black 5, WPR No. 15
    Diesel Locomotives 7069, D2069 Class 03, British Gypsum No 2, D9553 Class 14
     
  8. LesterBrown

    LesterBrown Member

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    I find it very hard to find any enthusiasm for the Sharpness project; even though I think I should.
     
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  9. david1984

    david1984 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Maybe playing fast and loose by calling it hiding, it's under a tarpaulin on that line between plat 2 and the shed, absolute farce that a complete chassis is useless and taking up space because there's no boiler for it.
     
  10. std tank

    std tank Part of the furniture

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  11. 45045

    45045 New Member

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    Snibston - Discovery centre demolished. Track given to GCR? Opposite side of the track, Headstock and associated buildings (including the loco shed) are still intact. I assume that would also include Coalville Crossing box too. Plan for all of this (including locos and rolling stock), I have no idea.....
     
  12. Peter Hall

    Peter Hall Guest

    In one way I despair when reading threads like this. A few months ago we, I am speaking with a Platform 5 Publishing hat on, published 'Preserved Locomotives of British Railways' - seventeenth edition. This of course lists all what can be considered to be former mainline BR and constituents standard and broad gauge steam locomotives still in existence along with similar former WD locomotives in the British Isles. Allowing for the odd recent move which we were not aware of at the time of going to press their was only one locomotive we did not have a current location for. This being LMS 'Crab' 42859 already mentioned in this thread which what remains of is located at an industrial estate in Lincolnshire but even we do not know exactly where. Several of course are at locations not generally open to the public, those locations being shown as such. 99+% of the original posters query can be answered by consulting the book.
     
  13. Might this 'despair' not be an indicator that it may be time for Platform 5 to move from print media to an online, subscription-based model? This would make the information a lot easier to keep bang up to date, including short term loans to other railways and so on.

    I look back on my spotting days with some fondness (I was always an Ian Allan ABC kid myself), but if back in the 1970s I'd had a smartphone with a subscription-based app that I knew was up to date, I'd have certainly chosen it over the IA Combined Volume. By the very nature of print and the fluidity of railways - both preserved and contemporary - 'spotters' books are already out of date by the time they hit the retailers shelves. Is that still what people want?

    Life moves on...
     
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  14. Peter Hall

    Peter Hall Guest

    The 'despair' is more that despite making the information publicly available so many myths in particular still do the rounds. I also get the impression the 'hacks from the steam mags' are reliant on other sources, often very dated, which is why myths and outdated locations continue to be quoted. It should also be mentioned that the Platform 5 magazine 'Todays Railways - UK' includes updates to the 'Preserved Locomotives of British Railways' in a stock changes type format. That is. all additions, deletions and movements are shown together in the same place rather than hidden away in news stores and elsewhere as in the other magazines.

    Disused Branch raises the point about Platform 5 moving from the print media. This may happen sometime in the future as an option to print based but not now. Trawl the web and you will find various listing of preserved steam locomotives but how accurate are these and are they being kept up to date? If you offer something that is subscription based and claims to be up to date then it has to be as up to date as it possibly can be every day. This needs people working on the topic daily and even then changes would not come to light when they happened. How many would actually pay a realistic price for that? Currently we try and keep on top of the various changes and the results are in the monthly stock changes but we do sit on a few things some months seeking clarification. In addition there is always the under investigation and of concern list. In the run up to each addition of the book we ask the question of each entry, are we 100% confident that the entry is correct, if not do a few checks.

    For preserved stock there is no DVLA type database that can be tapped into. Owners are under no obligation to tell anyone if ownership or location change or even if the vehicle is scrapped. Thus, keeping tabs of the whereabouts of the steam locomotives as well as the diesels, electrics and multiple units is a massive task and some would prefer we didn't. When it comes to steam, the interest in those vehicles is clearly declining as memories of mainline and even industrial operation are held by fewer and fewer. None of the Platform 5 team have such memories and to be honest have very little interest in steam locomotives at all so keeping tabs on them is not something we would to choose to do but we take on the challenge and give it our very best shot. Judge us on what we achieve.

    Railway Enthusiasts are often not willing to follow the pack and many do not easily adapt to changing technology. I would suggest that a goodly number still do not have internet access and have no desire too. I know many like that and a good percentage of them have no memories of steam on the mainline. They have always relied on printed stock books and magazine updates and see no reason to change their ways. If they did then Platform 5 would have to curtail is print output but nothing suggests that is likely anytime soon. Something you get from all previous editions of the Preserved locomotives book is a 'snapshot' in time which for many gives an old edition added value.

    Topic drift I know but thought it worth making these comments even though many might not agree.
     
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  15. Avonside1563

    Avonside1563 Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Oct 14, 2016
  16. mark373

    mark373 New Member

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    Some of us are catching up with the 21st century. :)

    I run a web based loco database and associated smartphone app. I started doing it for my own use, then published it - some people seem to like it and find it useful.

    And yes, keeping up to date with loco changes and moves is a huge job, and takes up a lot of my spare time. We do list preserved loco's and I try to keep up with changes and movements gleaned from magazines and forums such as this. Other app users also contribute updates and info.
     
  17. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    All very fair points and, for a niche publisher like Platform 5, quite challenging ones if you are to maintain your profitability as a business - as you say, time is a cost; probably as much as if not more than the printing and distribution that we see as end customers.

    However, you also need to be aware that your market is vulnerable to the web - as I'm sure you are. I haven't seen a Platform 5 preserved LHCS book for some years - and wouldn't refer to mine now that I know that the information is available on the Railway Heritage Register website. Other sites, possibly lacking your rigorous attention to detail, provide me with the level of information I seek free of charge, meaning that my purchases are at most infrequent.
     
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  18. 22A

    22A Well-Known Member

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    Thanks to everyone for your responses. I wasn't asking for a list of loco locations as such, just wondering which ones are not on view to the public.
    This was prompted when I read of the Snibston loco going into store with the site being sold.
     
  19. M59137

    M59137 Well-Known Member

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    I suspect there are a lot less ex mainline locos out there that are considered "hidden" than there are ex industrials. The recent "discovery" of Newstead being a good example of how one could be as close to being forgotten as it's possible to get with all us nosy enthusiasts around trying to photograph other people's property!!

    Sent from my HTC Desire 620 using Tapatalk
     
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  20. Spinner

    Spinner Member

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    Would a mischievous person suggest that (4)6229 is hidden?
     
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